Traditionally, the field of photography has involved the exposure of a light-sensitive film to an image focused on the film through a lens. The film is made using silver halide, which forms a latent image in response to the exposure. The image is then developed using a chemical process and printed on photographic paper. Typically, the development of such photographic images is a professional service that photographers pay for each time a new roll of film is to be developed.
More recently, digital cameras, personal computers, and printers have become a viable alternative to traditional silver halide photography. Today, images are captured with a digital camera, transferred electronically to a computer with a printer, or directly to a printer, and then produced by the printer in hardcopy form. Color inkjet printing is often used for printing photographs. This process is something that any amateur photographer can do at home without needing the services of a professional film developer.
An inkjet printer can print a color photograph on a variety of print media, including ordinary paper. However, the resulting quality and durability of such an image printed on ordinary paper is significantly inferior to traditional photographs. For example, the ink used in an inkjet printer typically includes a colorant that is dissolved or suspended in an aqueous carrier fluid that serves as a vehicle for the colorant. With the quantity of ink dispensed to produce a high-quality color photograph, this carrier fluid may significantly wet the paper resulting in cockling or curling of the paper and a requiring a significant drying time.
Thus, it becomes apparent that the image quality and durability of photographic images printed using inkjet technology is strongly dependent on the construction of the print media used. Consequently, improved print media specifically for producing hardcopy photographs has been developed for use in inkjet printers. These various types of print media are referred to generally as photographic printing paper.